Land of Castlevania: Dawn of Revival
by DMarkRode
Summary: Danger and evil returns to plague the Belmont brothers after a long time peace. Darkness always returns. An original story about the long hard journey to fend off the shadows from around the Belmonts and within them. Read and Review. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Land Of Castlevania: Dawn Of Revival

Written By DMarkRode

Prologue

The greatest of adventures, however plagued, begin in the smallest of places and times. This powerful world of swords, steeds, and sorcery, is at the peak of its growth. Steadily, this concentrated and shut in land had has its share of horrors that only mankind could dream of. With the fall of its greatest and upfront evil, the times for all people became a gentler one. People were finally starting to see the light, after years of darkness.

The Belmont's, once heralded as heretics among the church, now were praised as heroes. Their line of family had been devoted to their one mission; defeat the one evil that plagued them. The mission wouldn't be realized until the latest generation; Fredrick Belmont was the victorious one in the end. Frederick was raised as the praised Belmont; by his father, Leon Belmont. Leon's other sons, Victor and Henry, ended up being the greatest allies in the end.

Victor was one of the scholarly types, providing the Belmont's with seemingly endless advice provided to him by his studies. He was once a great priest, herald by all because of his apprenticeship he had develop with the country's bishop. Victor was also one of the only survivors of the slaughter of village Verdose. He opened his church as a place of protection to all other villagers while Verdose burned to the ground. Many said that his act of kindness and protection is what kept the church from burning.

Henry walked a different path compared to that of his two brothers. He became a knight of the church; a scholarly life wasn't enough for Henry. In fact, his father, Leon, who taught him personally while he was amongst the living, ignited his lust for a sword. While his fame was coupled with that of Victor, they both paled to the name of Frederick.

Frederick Belmont had saved the name of the Belmont's from being cursed as a worthless family who failed to protect. In the face of extreme darkness, his calm and clear mind always led him to victory. However, it was Frederick who brought his brothers together for the purpose that the Belmont's devoted themselves to. It would be Frederick who would continue the fight.

Part 1: Chapter 1

The midnight moon cast its rays of light upon the nestled village of Verdose. The village was gossiped to be a lost world, but recovered by the grace of god. It was actually the grace of a Belmont, who saved the village. The fires that consumed Verdose faded and dissipated, so the remaining survivors begun the long and arduous trek of rebuilding. However, the tale inspired many; so the neighboring village of Caber lent some of its resources and men to help rebuild.

The stone streets seemed to sparkle from the moon, most noticeably in front of the Verdose church. The quiet night was interrupted with the sound of running footsteps up to the church's doorstep. It was a man, clad in a cloak, who quietly opened the solid heavy doors of the holy house.

"Hello?" the man said quietly, which echoed in the main hall.

He went quietly up the aisle, surrounded by rows of wooden seats; crude in workmanship. He worried that the church may be closed, but then he noticed the dim candle light at the end of the aisle. Stealthily, another man came up from behind the light and into view. He smiled as he raised his hand to greet the newcomer to the church.

"The trinity is always open, you may come closer," smiled the priest.

"Oh thank you, I was worried your doors may be closed for tonight," replied the stranger.

He approached the candlelight and brought his hands to its warmth; the cold night had been cruel recently. The priest yawned as he walked over to the bench and sat down calmly.

"On a cold dark night like tonight, what reason brings you to my lords house?" said the priest as he looked up at the man.

Shaking his head, the stranger was hesitant in his speech. Slowly he turned around and smiled a shaky smile, rubbing his hands together.

"To be truthful, I feel like I just needed to be somewhere tonight. When I saw the churches cross, I found relief in sanctuary," explained the young man.

The priest nodded and smiled, " fair enough. I don't mean to pry, but is there some troubles at home?"

Giving only the slightest of nods, the wanderer came over and sat down next to the comforting priest but gave no word. The priest realized it so he tried to take some tense feelings away.

"You definitely wouldn't be the first person to find solace here, I've taken great pride to welcoming all. Tons of stories have been passed here."

"Really? What stories do you hold, priest?"

Smiling, the priest leaned back on the wooden bench and placed his arm on the armrest. "Well, usually I would say pick which story, but some years ago I protected many villagers from a fire."

"That's why you take great pleasure in giving wanderers a home?"

Smiling, the priest said, " More or less."

The small chatter went on for a while. The moonlight passed over the town like a watchful eye, its gaze all of a sudden blocked by gathering dark clouds.

"What caused the fire, do you remember?" curiously the man asked the priest."

"To accurately recall, I can't be sure. To be truthful, it all seems like a bad dream. And, like all dreams, I am thankful it has passed and I bless his greatness for the survivors."

The stranger nods as the priest talked, agreeing with the words he said. Eventually he inquired, "What is your name, priest?"

Smiling, the raven shoulder length haired man stood up slowly and said, " Belmont, thy first name being Victor."

Surprised, the stranger looked up, "Belmont?"

The priest laughed softly, " Yes, I am of the Belmont blood."

Nodding, he looked up slowly, " Then you are truly from god."

Victor shook his head, " I am only a warrior of god. Don't tell my brother that, however." He laughed softly and offered his hand to the stranger. The amount of hospitality shocked the young man; even though Victor was a priest he seemed exceedingly kind.

Standing up, the stranger asked, " I know you must be asked this constantly, but are the stories true?"

The priest stopped in his walk, sighing greatly then smiled a weary one.

"Most stories told in lore stem from some great truth, does it not? Whether that truth is an actual event or some truth the storytelling holds, I have seen my great times and been through enough truth."

Then Victor came to the man and put his hand upon his shoulder, "One thing has been made clearer to me, and that is the lord is the only one truth we can believe."

The man put his hand on Victors arm, "amen, Belmont."

The winds that were once gracing the lonely roads of Verdose suddenly ceased and quieted. The large, heavy entrance doors to the church slowly opened as the priest Victor Belmont emerged from them with his companion. Victor stepped out a few feet from the entrance to revel in the pleasant night.

"Calm, is it not? I have not seen a silent night in a long time," mentioned Victor, who then began to look all around him.

Stepping out to join him, the companion of Victor nodded in a solemn way.

Not hearing an agreement, Victor looked back at the man and noticed a trouble stare.

"What troubles you now?" he asked.

Only then did the stranger look at him with truthful eyes. His hand drifted towards his belt and pulled out a sharp edged knife. He brought it up in between Victor and himself.

"This, I'm afraid, was supposed to go into your chest. I am still debating whether or not to do it," he slowly admitted,

But surprisingly, the priest smiled and took a hold of the knife, " No you aren't, your decision is made already."

However the composure of the stranger started to shake from a hidden turmoil.

"You don't understand, I thought I had no choice in what I should do. But once I stepped into that church, I realized I would be sinning against god. I don't know if I could do such a thing. "

While holding the knife with one hand, Victor placed his hand onto the mans shoulder. Victor instantly realized that this man had a troubling decision, so he held no ill thoughts against him. Such random hatred for another person was not part of Victors way. Then an darker complexion came upon the priest, " But there is one thing you must do, you must tell me who is it that put you up to this task."

Raising his hand, the stranger pointed to behind Victor. The Belmont priest turned around to notice a small gang of people coming from the shadows. Converging from all sides, they stopped to form a half circle in front of him. Victor scanned each of their faces, but none seem to be familiar. They all looked connected since they had traveler's cloaks on and a breastplate for each. A total of five stopped and looked at Victor. The fifth man who stood in front of Victor was the most noticeable, due to his rich and formal attire. He wore a rich blue coat that extended along his back, a sort of medieval trench coat, although, a hint of silver from an armor piece could be seen from underneath his coat. His complexion deserves a noticed glance, young with short blonde hair and beard.

"So," the bearded man started in a disdainful tone, " Victor of the Belmont clan, correct?"

Victor did not move or respond, just stared at him trying to guess his move. Upon looking at one of the thug's faces, the look seemed to goad the intruder into some sort of challenge. He placed his hand upon his belt, undoubtedly for a weapon, when the bearded man shouted at him.

" You dare go against my word? Once more and your head will roll."

The scold seemed to make the thug even angrier but eventually subdued.

Then, in classic fashion, Victor smiled and took one step back while saying, " What reason would you gentleman have on intruding on the lords doorstep?"

The lead stranger gave a loud grunt and raised a gloved hand, "Since when are you so righteous, Belmont? You take pride in destroying others, I have seen it."

Still smiling, the priest shook his head, " I do enjoy vanquishing evils, that much is true. It helps make this world purer."

"You fail to understand my intention, Victor. This world is untamed; it needs leadership that will last. You simply could not stand the fact that my lord ruled all over the country, so you and your brothers crushed the dominance we had developed."

The priest of the Belmont's look intrigued then, as he pointed at the bearded man in disbelief. "Surely, you do not mean him?"

Overwhelmed by a searing pride, the stranger clenched his hand into a fist and announced quite angrily, " Yes! I serve the one true lord of this country. I am Stephen Waltz."

"Waltz? That is a proud name in the east; I do not trust that you served who I feel you did. He fell three years ago."

"By your hand, no less. I have come to see you fall this night. Do it, Talin."

However, none of the other four moved. Victor then turned around and noticed the stranger from earlier was shifting nervously, trying to decide on his move. Talin seemed to look from Victor to Stephen, back and forth.

"Remember," continued Waltz, " your families life depends on this decision."

Quickly Victor turned around to face the monarch, " You used his family? You monster!"

Perhaps too hastily, Victor launched himself with a violent attempt at Stephen. But with inhuman strength, one of Stephens's guards quickly appeared in front of him. Victor realized his move only too late. The guard caught him with both hands upon his neck, and then launched him back to the ground violently. Crashing on the stone before the church, the priest stumbled to his feet. He moved too quickly, for he then noticed a sharp pain going into his right side.

Baffled, he turned his head and noticed a new knife sticking out of his side. A hand was still grasping the hilt, Talin's hand. Victor looked at his former companions face, but his head was hanged down in what appeared to be shame. It was the closest thing to an apology that Victor would see from this man. Victor turned to see Stephen in front of him, nearly nose to nose. His eyes were blood red now, a vicious grin with pointed fangs greeting him. Stephen raised his hand and pulled the glove off, each one of his fingernails were sharpened and discolored. With one vicious swipe, four bloody scars were etched upon the priests face as the force from the hit made him fall to the ground. He tried to keep consciousness but the serious wound tugged at his spirit. It was then that they continued their assault, and Victor's eyes closed.

Days flew by, with nights passing at a slower pace. There was a violent rain in the last few days, but it had calmed for this current night; even though the clouds were plentiful. The few roads that were used for travel or commerce were still freshly wet.

One of the gates was safely guarded resulting in an increase from security. The forces were actually borrowed from Walachia province, which was a friendly neighboring land of Verdose.

Although, this night, the guards at the front gate to the entrance of Verdose raised their alert when they saw one horseback rider coming towards them. Four guards stood on their feet as the rider came closer, all four guards carrying Halberds. The halberds helped reinforce their stance as guards of a town, although they were difficult to use. The torches along the road kept visibility good, so they could see the rider clearly.

It was a man, well built in stature. He had shoulder length brown hair, which at times obscured his face. In an unusual fashion, his travelers cloak was entirely attached with chain mail on its exterior. It gave sheen to his overall figure. However, the mans left shoulder was slightly bigger underneath his chain mail cloak, probably from a shoulder armor piece. Then one thing catched the attention of the guards, he was very heavily armed.

Swords, knives, round shields, and axes decorated his steed. The horse was a great deal large as well, to accommodate the weapons. The guards braced themselves for the worst. One of them, the self announced leader, stepped from his comrades and came forward to meet the rider as he came up to the gate.

"Halt," belched the guard, "state your business."

The horse stopped in front of the guard and snuffed a displeasing sound towards him. The rider calmly responded.

"Don't deny a man his right to see his family," he said quietly.

The guard became flustered as he lowered his halberd, "Frederick? My apologies sir, I didn't notice you right away."

Shaking his head, Frederick allowed a solemn smile, "It's alright, Alexander. I haven't seen you in awhile as well. So you are on loan to the church as well?"

Stamping the halberd into the ground to lean on, Alexander nodded.

"Your brother was allowed to be a full fledge knight, I was stationed as guard for the governors house. Big career, eh?"

" You'll make it someday, my brother won't admit that, though. Speaking of which, has he arrived yet?"

"Oh! Yes he's been at Victors home with the doctors. I have not yet heard what his condition is as of late. His home is next to the church, take stride."

"Thank you, I will tell Victor you greeted him."

Snapping the reins, Frederick Belmont rode on towards the gate; which was opening according to Alexander's signal.

As Frederick rode on by, he raised his one hand in a wave. Alexander just gave a swift salute instead.

A light rain once again accompanied Fredrick as his horse rode on by the homes and alleyways in this uncertain little town. Even though it was night, Verdose looked unnaturally dark. Soon, the high tower of the church came into view. He realized what was Victors house because of the guard standing at the entrance, a dead give away to anyone looking to harm someone important. Just so the guard would clear him, Frederick brought his left arm into view, which was covered in an impressive gauntlet, brandishing the symbol of the Belmont's upon his hand. The guard hastily withdrew its protective stance and allowed entrance.

Leaping off of his horse, Frederick wrapped his cloak tighter around himself and stepped through the doorway. The candles were numerous in the front room, providing plenty of light. Frederick immediately noticed the Belmont shield placed above the mantle, shinning just as much as the last time he saw it. Then a great commotion was heard in the next room.

"I don't care, move!" the familiar voiced yelled.

Through a doorway, a robed person walked very angrily and shaking his head.

"Your brother is angry, just to let you know," he said with a heavy sigh.

"Usually is," shrugged Frederick. "But David, how is Victor?"

"Ah, I am glad to tell you of this, but Victor will be fine. He's resting in the next room, has been for a few days now."

Sighing out, Frederick placed his hand on David's shoulders and thanked him very gratefully. David had been a friend of Victor, a fellow priest in fact. Frederick was not surprised to see him here overlooking the care of Victor. Frederick actually preferred David, someone he trusted, to do it than anyone else. Then a loud clang came from the next room as a big-shouldered man came through the same doorway that David came through. He wore full body armor, complete with a knight's broadsword. He had blonde hair that came to his shoulders and a blonde beard to complete.

"Henry," Frederick said, "Please be more quiet since brother is sleeping."

"Yeah," Henry replied, " just David was unnerving me."

David turned around and pointed at Henry, "Be thankful god is merciful, since my patience is thin with you."

Henry threw his arms helplessly up as if giving up in the argument, "Fine, my lips are sealed."

Frederick nudged David and asked, " May I go see Victor?"

"I would advise against it, Frederick, I try to keep him isolated while he's resting. Oddly, his wounds aren't healing as fast as I'd hope. Even though he was recovered early enough so no permanent damage happened."

Frederick curiously looked at David, "How early was he found? I heard he was attacked at night."

Priest David scratched his chin as he continued, " He was. However, someone saw him and got help to him in time. Doctors were able to stop his bleeding and patch him up accordingly. They are gone for now, since his condition stabilized and I took watch over him.

Frederick smiled as he heard it, "Where's the person who saved him? I'd like to thank him."

Henry gave a modest shrug as he admitted, "I'd like to as well."

David was already drinking a cup of water when they asked it, so he just pointed to the next rooms closed door. Henry was the first to it as he shoved it open, Frederick calmly following. The room looked to be that of a guest bedroom, clean and not often used. One window was at the end of the room, with a bed set underneath it. On the following room was a large shelf, decorated with plenty of lore.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, was one middle-aged man with his head hung low. He had ragged features, an expected look from normal villagers. The man was also holding something tightly in both hands. His head came up slightly to see who entered, but it seemed to un-affect him. The lights in this room were darker, conveying the mood and features of this man.

The silence made Frederick feel uneasy, especially since the man didn't greet them at all. Instead, he looked quite solemn. David came waltzing into the room with his shoulders slumped, as he usually does, and coughed.

"He looks to be in shock still, but from what I gathered; his name is Talin," said David. Henry had already given up any patience and put his arms behind himself, stating, " Looks like a deep shock to me."

However, in an unexpected instant, Talin muttered, "Are you his brothers?"

Frederick could sense the serious tone so he kneeled down in front of Talin and responded, "Yes, I'm Frederick and he is Henry," he pointed to his brother. Immediately Talin interrupted and said, " Victor is a good man."

Frederick raised his eyebrow slightly, realizing the tone now.

"He is. Talin, do you know what happened?"

With an unwilling and involuntary shake, his hands opened to reveal what he held. It was a dagger of reasonable size, the blade shining but the hilt was stained in a crimson color. Instead of an explanation, Talin started to break into confession.

"I don't know anymore. My wife would never forgive me, but if I didn't see her again I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. My child, he is young you see and-"

His speech was halted at first by the overwhelming sound of glass shattering. The sound was harsh since it was the violent breaking of the window behind him and the bed. Pieces flew like erupting from the confession. Only until two arms reached in did Frederick draw his blade. The reaction was still too slow as Talin was whisked away through the broken window, his limps catching the edges of the broken shards.

Henry Belmont was already out of the doorway and out of the house the minute Talin was captured, determined to not let him go; especially during that hint of dread from his confession. Once Frederick barreled out of the house, he saw Henry pointing up toward the line of homes saying, "He's up on the roof".

Frederick raised his blade...


	2. Chapter 2

Talin felt like the hand of fate just grabbed him from his place, with a lengthy arm and sinister claws. The young man's guilt seemed to be too great for him; he was ready to confess what he had done. But his mouth, and heart, stuttered under the eyes of Victor's brothers. Frederick eyes were full of confusion, while the bigger brother, Henry, seemed ready to draw a blade on him. The minute Talin's eyes closed, in preparation for the consequences that he knew was coming, something shattered behind him and he was swept backwards.

He was final in his decision, he was certain God himself had grabbed him. For a split second, the thought that it wasn't God but the Devil also crossed his mind. Then he saw the being that had grabbed him. The man, who appeared as one at least, was bald but wore a loosely fitting cloak. The arm of his that held on to Talin was quite elongated and strong. It almost looked like it didn't belong on him. That wasn't the only unnatural thing about him; the other was the fact that he was climbing up the side of the building while holding onto Talin with one arm.

For this brief second of disbelief, Talin realized where he was in the world. His beliefs in things were always on the positive side, but with a hopeless attitude. His family became a tool of something not real, in the view of his hopeless beliefs. Talin's life became jolted into a different perspective. In the process of this new view, Talin unwillingly became a tool of something evil and very real. The only hope, he thought, are the brothers of a man he tried to kill. What chances of his survival are there now?

With a vicious lunge, the man pulled himself and Talin onto the roof. Like some creature, he started running along the roof in powerful and long strides. The rain seemed to part for him cause of his speed. Once he came to the end of the roof, the bald man then leaped the gap in between the buildings. Talin actually clenched his arms around himself in fear of the daringness that this kidnapper had. His hopes also dwindled as fast as the man ran, for the Belmont brothers would never catch up to him. Talin's wife's last words echoed in his mind.

"Talin," she said, " don't pledge to me, pledge in yourself so that I will be able to see you again."

Talin looked down at the street while the monster jumped again. When looking down, Talin saw that he still held the knife that he showed the Belmont brothers. He was holding it in such a grip that it almost seemed inhuman even to himself. During this jump, he looked up at the man while his wife's words echoed. He rose the knife up and plunged it into the kidnapper. Talin wasn't even sure if the knife went in or not, he just knew that the man looked at him while showing his teeth. Talin saw glints of an animal in him. The man didn't pay attention to where he was flying to and crashed into the edge of one of buildings roofs.

The kidnapper lost his hold on Talin, who fell from nearly fifteen feet up. Crashing down, he splashed into the wet street on his shoulder. Letting out a loud cry, he stiffened as he tried to get back up. He felt rushed, like his life struggled to survive through this one chance of his. A chance he managed to attain for himself. A loud splash was heard behind him…

Talin looked behind himself as he ran into the street, he could see the hulking stature of his persurer. The lack of light this night, with the heavy rain, seemed to shield the bald man in darkness. Talin could have sworn that he looked bigger now.

Talin then crashed into something, falling back onto the street once more. He looked up and his mouth dropped. It was Henry Belmont, holding a broadsword with one hand and looking almost as rabid as the kidnapper. Another man stepped next to him.

"Get up, Talin," said Frederick as he lowered his hand to help him up.

Talin quickly took his hand and was pulled up. As soon as he was stood up he was shoved behind the two brothers.

"Nice night out, don't you think?" yelled Henry across the gap of the two opponents.

The bulking man kept on walking forward, his shoulders and arms slumped over. He still kept that longer and twisted looking arm raised and menacing looking. The arm then raised and ripped off the upper part of his cloak across his chest, revealing much of his upper body and holding it all together with a couple of tattered remains. Even Henry's expression changed. Vains and bulging muscles came from the arm and spread across his body, like a decease. The fingers of this arm were longer and topped off by sharp looking nails; much like claws.

Frederick raised his blade up with both his hands, looking more prepared.

Henry shook his head while saying, "That is one strange looking werewolf, only his arm is transformed?"

Frederick shook his head, " Strange aura's are around this beast, we best be careful brother."

"I was going to say that," said Henry. "I don't see its seal."

"I see it, it's quite elaborate."

"Well it will come off one way or another."

With that said, Henry spun the blade around and put him self in his familiar battle stance.

"Meat does not get in my way!" cried the bald man. " All I want is that small one, just stand aside."

The two Belmont brothers stood steady, not backing up at all. The werewolf straightened his back, seeming to increase in height as its legs grew out of proportion.

Frederick then whispered to his brother, " Do we have any silver?"

Henry looked back at him, slowly shaking his head. The two Belmont's cursed. But it was too late, the werewolf lunged at them…


	3. Chapter 3

Carolina awoke from her deep sleep, her moist eyes slightly sparkling. Her blonde hair was ruffled around her head, like a universe revolving around a sun. Carolina's head drifted towards the direction of the one window in her bedroom; the rain from outside and the constant flashing of lightning covered it. She thought it was the storm outside that awoke her, but she couldn't be certain. She felt very awake, like something greatly startled her.

The young woman's eyes drifted to the corner of the room, where a lone candle burnt solitarily by itself. It looked spent, having burnt nearly all the way down. Carolina threw her feet off the bed and stood up, drifting over to the window as the glow of the lightning provided a better view outside. She looked outside but didn't see what she wanted to, she only saw empty night.

She thought it would be futile to hope for the hopeless. The last time she saw Henry, his eyes were lit with a fury to the news that his brother had been attacked. Carolina had met Victor before and remembered how he was; a broad-smiling nice priest that seemed happy for Henry. She felt remorse for what happened to Victor because he was such a nice person, but her heart dropped even further when she saw how it hurt Henry.

It may have seemed Henry just went into a rage, at the same time finding a direct objective then, but only Carolina could see past that. She knew how well his feelings portrayed themselves, which she thought were a desirable quality to Henry. He may act harsh or rude, but he wanted someone like her. At least, that's what she thought.

Maybe she was thinking too much about him, she thought. She guessed that possibly she was making Henry out to more of a riddle than he really was. She didn't intentionally do that, she just finds herself at a loss of words in front of a man who's called a hero. She can't imagine someone in a position like that, where they are credited with helping to save the world.

Carolina learned much of the story from other people when it happened, she never could get much information from Henry. He loved the chance to gloat, but with what happened in that castle he just couldn't say much. It always did bother her.

Her slender hands went to her nightstand and picked up a small vase, holding a red rose in it. Henry had given it to her for her birthday, which was a few days before the attack on Victor. She kept it close to her, especially when Henry left. However, as she switched hands to place the vase down, her grip slipped and the vase dropped. It cracked against the corner of the nightstand then toppled down to the floor, breaking a couple of pieces off. It didn't shatter, but it was enough to knock out the rose from within. Carolina frowned, leaning down to pick up the rose. Her grip on things was much better than this, she continued to think. Carolina looked out the window once more, where a thunderous bolt struck close by and illuminated her soft and pale features...

Henry thought he nearly was cracked in two, when the giant attacker crashed into him. He was much faster than Henry expected so he wasn't able to strike with his sword in time. Instead, the werewolf-like being used its elongated arm to fling him away and let him crash further down the street in a puddle filled by the rain. The creature raised his arm high above Frederick and brought it down to try to slash his brother's face.

Frederick sidestepped with excellent timing, dodging the monstrous clawed arm and swinging his sword against this arm. He slashed it, but not as deep as he would've expected. It seemed that the protruding muscles were strong enough to provide a form of protection. Dumbfounded, he withdrew the sword back to him and backed up to think to get ready for his second attack. The seal was still shown on his stomach, however its markings seemed clearer to Frederick right now. The seal was also very elaborate, something that he hadn't seen in years.

Seeing that put Frederick on the defensive, trying to dodge each blow the partly-transformed werewolf tried to swing at him. The monsters moves were quick and easily fatal, but Frederick had the advantage; he was quicker. Each swing of Frederick's sword only seemed to cut in lightly and anger the werewolf even more. Henry already got up and saw that his brother was trying to keep quick but didn't know how long it would last.

Henry's body was already in motion before he knew what he was doing. He felt this urge to injure the beast as hard as possible, so he charged right towards him. Once reaching, Frederick sidestepped out of the way and let his brother crash shoulder first into the werewolf. The broad frame of Henry caused the man to stumble backwards, but since he was so much bigger the blow didn't knock him off his feet like Henry intended. The attack did offer Frederick an opening, which he took. Frederick slashed his sword sideways over the same wound he inflicted earlier, in hopes of deepening the slash. It would, it did deepen the cut, but not to the extent that he had hoped. The werewolf was even strong enough to use his elongated arm to shove Henry away from him.

The enemy felt cluttered by these two attacking him so he made a leap to one of the buildings on the side of the street. This leap was truly un-natural; a good distance was covered in a matter of seconds. The man must have changed slightly in the battle because he was able to crash into the side of this stone building and able to stay attached to it. Using the legs, that had increased in size rapidly, the werewolf propelled itself towards the Belmont brothers. The strength that he used to push off the building was so great that the speed was faster than the brothers could move, they would be hit head on.

Frederick only saw a blind flash, as the beast was a mere second away from colliding with them. With a loud crashing sound, coupled with the visual spectacle of white sparks in the air, the partly transformed werewolf was through backwards until he crashed through a vendor's sign and into a wall. The force was great enough to send shockwaves through the streets. The two brothers had no idea what repelled the creature until they saw their brother, Victor, standing in front of them, tall and proud, covered with bandages and holding a iron cross. The bewildered Henry and Frederick lowered their swords to stare at their brother. The rain beat down his complexion as his head turned to look at his brothers, and even with a large slash wound across his face, he slowly grinned. But then he collapsed to the drenched ground, unconscious.

Daraken emerged from underneath the massive arch of a grand temple. His hair is slightly short with the top of it raised slightly in few spikes. The strong, square jaw was unshaven and not kept up very well. His upper body was quite extraordinary, since it was clearly visible because the left side of his shirt was torn away. He had a cloak on too but the left side of that was torn away as well, so it was resting more on his right side; mysteriously covering his right side occasionally, as it seems to float around him. Even with his muscled physique, he wasn't very wide. His height nearly reached six feet, but he looked more battle ready than any figure could have. Any opponent would startle in their movements because of him, not only because his strength but because of his eyes. A cold stare flowed from his white bluish eyes. Even in the storm, the bright blue eyes seemed to glow with a fire deep within. Holding in one hand was an extremely long long sword, one that would look difficult to even balance.

Daraken stopped in his tracks. Looking around in two directions, he settled on one path. As he begun to walk forward at a steady pace, he raised his long sword above his head. Daraken then swung the sword lightning fast behind himself, which actually caused a bolt to strike behind him and clash into the temple head on. With a slight tremor resulting from the attack, the temple developed deep cracks and start to tumble apart in a matter of minutes. Daraken continued to walk forward, his mind set on his destination: Verdose.


	4. Chapter 4

The night calmed into a still one, the storm finally receding like someone yanked it away. Clouds still lingered like residue, but at last the great white moon showed its face. Its rays seemed to guide the two standing Belmont brother's as they carried their unconscious sibling to his home where David was surely upset. Victor's unusual ability somewhat struck Henry and Frederick differently. Henry was actually impressed; this show of spiritual power was unlike any force a regular human had exerted. Especially since Victor mainly used defensive methods in previous battles. Henry merely thought the blood of the Belmont's was finally showing its true potential in Victor. Frederick saw this show of power as something else.

Frederick was still just as shocked as his brother Henry, but his curiosity got the better of him. How did Victor manage such a feat after resting from a near fatal attack? A force strong enough to repel a partly transformed werewolf was no easy task, and never had Victor shown any sort of great power to prove he was capable of this attack. Frederick pondered the possibilities, as he did frequently before and after an event.

They reached Victor's house and saw David standing in front of the doorway, looking out with his fingers tapping on the door. He shook his head as they entered.

" My, how the unconscious move at this time of night," David muttered loud enough for them to hear. "What happened?" he asked after.

"We aren't even sure of that, mommy," replied Henry as he volunteered to carry Victor the rest of the way through the home. Frederick now fully supported Talin into a seat.

"It was strange, to say the least," Frederick said quietly. " Right when we were able to be hit by the man who kidnapped Talin here-"

"Whoa, wait a minute," interjected David pressingly, " that was a man?"

Frederick nodded, " He was partly human, I suppose. He actually was a sort of werewolf."

"Really? Well that explains him climbing up the house. But, Frederick, come here."

David put his hand on Frederick's shoulder, taking him quietly to the side of the living room and quite seriously asked, "I thought werewolves's were unable to control themselves. Whatever broke through that window and snatched Talin knew what it was doing."

"I know, that's part of what bothers me. It felt too deliberate for a creature of that nature. Another thing is that it has this ability to change parts of itself, while relatively remaining in control. I haven't seen such a controller power in a long time."

"Since the castle, perhaps?"

Frederick shook his head. "I don't remember."

"Frederick, really? I say this every time, but when are you going to drop that act?"

"David, not tonight."

David tries to protest more but Frederick walks past him to Talin, who is stirring from being knocked unconscious. Henry walks back into the room after putting Victor back on his bed, then stands behind Frederick with his arms crossed; watching him.

Frederick kneeled down in front of Talin and placed a hand onto his shoulder.

"Talin, are you okay?" Frederick asked calmly and carefully.

Talin shook his head, seemingly out of unconsciousness, and nodded then afterwards.

"I will live."

Frederick retained his stare into the pupils of Talin's eyes as he spoke, " Talin, what was that creature?"

Talin's eyes widened as he stared helplessly back, unable to speak a understandable statement.

"I don't know."

Frederick nodded like he understood, then asked " Do you know why he was after you?"

This time, Talin seemed to understand perfectly and blurted out " I know why."

"I'm listening, Talin. I promise your going to be fine from now on, we won't do anything to you."

" I know. I just can't forgive thyself. That creature was after me because I didn't finish the job."

"What job? Talin, be steady and tell us truthfully."

" The job was to kill Victor."

Henry literally charged forward with a fevered look upon his face, pushing past Frederick and grabbing Talin by the neck. He hauled him up against the wall and shook him brutally while yelling "You were going to kill my brother?"

Frederick grabbed his brother by his shoulder and with one shove pushed him back. "Be still!" shouted Frederick. " Don't judge, Henry, until we hear the whole story!"

Talin was literally in tears as he yelled over Frederick, almost as in defense, "If I didn't then my family was going to be killed!"

"What do you mean, Talin?"

Talin was keeping a hand clenched around his throat, " My employer, he kidnapped my family and said if I didn't do this task for him that he would slaughter them. "

"Who is this person?"  
" I did work for him in his manor off the country side, I went into a wrong room. In there were many skeletons of varied natures and discrepancies. Upon being cornered, he said I would live if I did this task of his. To keep me from simply running away, he took my wife and child as a sort of insurance. I can not risk my family's life."

Henry then shouted out, " So your family is worth more than mine?"

Frederick raised his voice before another fight broke out. " He had no choice, to be honest."

Talin still shook his head, "I could've done something."

Frederick rejected his plead, " No, you couldn't."

"Who was it that threatened you like this?" asked Henry.

"It was Mr. Waltz, Stephen Waltz."

David, however still in the corner of the room with his arms crossed, suddenly said in a louder tone, " You've got to be joking."

Frederick looked behind at David and asked cautiously, " Do you know him?"

"Yeah, you two aren't familiar of him but I know him well. Talk has been spreading that he's been buying up land around the county. Relentless in his demands."

Henry had to spout out, "Rich fool."

David pointed at Henry and nodded, "Truly, but let me finish, boy."

Henry crossed his arms again and stayed silent.

David continued, " I first heard of him when the mayor came to me. The mayor is truly a devote believer, and he greatly believes in helping people. So he brings about the subject of a manor off to the east. People like Talin here were being hired to do work on the manor, so the mayor wanted me to go over there and inquire of a possible blessing."

Frederick had to inquire this time, " A blessing?"

David nodded yet again as he quickly continued his explanation, " Yes, the mayor likes the church to bless any new property. This manor has been on the edge for a long time, although the town never really knew it existed. Me and a few priests went to the manor and were greeted by one of Waltz representatives, who hastily cast us out. They were quite adamant in getting us off the property. Shady dealings have been spoken of Waltz ever since for some time now."

Henry tapped his finger on his forearm, " So, it seems Mr. Waltz is afraid of a little holy touch. And he wanted our brother dead?"

Talin spoke softly, " He didn't say why, but yes."

Henry shook his head, " That settles it, then."

Frederick rose his hand, "Be steady, brother."

Henry almost turned around in a fit of rage but quickly calmed himself and said in a thoroughly thought out tone, "Frederick, you must agree with me that a vile person like this cannot be un-punished."

Frederick was about to say something reluctantly but strange enough, Talin rose his voice first.

"Yes, he should," Talin said with a deathly serious tone. " After thinking about what he's done to me, someone who doesn't mean anything in particular to him, I can't forgive what he did to my family. God willing, I…I wish to get a form of retribution."

Henry was all the more happy to add, "Retribution? I'd say we get revenge."

As calming as he was trying to be, Frederick couldn't fully disagree with Henry. Their father went through great lengths to tell each one of the Belmont children how important sticking together was. They were called a legacy, one that has to survive for a destined purpose. This purpose was a close second to the lessons of staying together. However, Frederick debated many times whether this destined purpose was the most important thing to his father, no matter how many times he said it was not…

Frederick nodded and said, " I agree, let this Stephen Waltz feel this retribution first hand."

David looked at the Belmont, a slight surprise spreading across his face. He rarely ever saw Frederick become so instinctive in a decision about someone's fate. This was not a violent or vengeful person, thought David. Henry was always a literal, and sometimes brutally honest, person but Frederick and Victor were always there to calm him down. David started worrying who would restrict Frederick, or what was it that seemed to bother him. David kept quiet, but noticed even Henry become somewhat surprised at Frederick's disposition.

Frederick looked down at Talin, "Will you show us where this manor resides? Once you do, stay with David here to keep watch of Victor. Yours and our retribution will both be acquired once we get to the manor. Now, tell me where it is."

"Don't rush into this ruthlessly, Frederick," said David, " it may be a bad choice, especially if you walk right into a trap."

"I've been through worse traps, David, I don't think that will stop us from Waltz."

David shook his head, not satisfied with what he was seeing. But, in essence he knew he could not stop any Belmont from a task. He just hoped that whatever they were going into, Frederick would keep his wits about him and not be trapped like Talin had been. Frederick's father would not want his two sons walking into a trap that was spurred on for the taste of revenge, but what was David to even think that? The Belmont legacy was fated to live for revenge by Leon Belmont himself.


	5. Chapter 5

A thin layer of fog crept slowly over the broken dirt path. Almost like a grasp upon reality, the sound of the wilderness was muffled from awareness. It slid close to the ground and seemed to increase as two figures ventured further. They galloped a steady speed, making certain to stay on the right path and get there soon. Frederick Belmont, and his brother Henry, were on a mission; a self-appointed one at that. Henry's instincts had begun to make sense to Frederick, for he wanted revenge against this man who plotted death for his other brother Victor. When assaulting a Belmont, one has to worry about the returning strike from the rest of the family. Frederick thought it was about time that that vow would reach Stephen Waltz the hardest. Henry wouldn't hesitate to strike someone back, but Frederick was usually more rational over these impulses. But, he thought, this time he would join his brother to strike at a newly found enemy.

Frederick, for a slight moment, gazed at how his thoughts plagued him. He found it surprising that he had decided that this man was his enemy, but he never met him. It was a vicious revelation to him, but he also quickly remembered why he hated this man so. Frederick had made up his mind, as contrary to his nature, and hoped that it would be the right one in the end. The leaves from the forested path started to fall in due part to the breezes that grew in strength during the fall season.

It was mid-day and the fog started to become troublesome. Even Henry noted its peculiarity, as he said, "Awfully abundant, isn't it, brother?"

Frederick nodded, using his feet to hasten his horse faster. He was hoping to see a large manor soon, but so far no sign of any structure. He remembered Talin noting that the manor was being reconstructed due to Stephen Waltz's instructions, for what reason he had no idea. A stronger wind seemed to come against them, making the leaves blow by them in hurry; their bright colors and faded appearance floating around them. Frederick could even see the fog blowing by them with the wind, however the silence still lingered. The trees rose high, clouding the sun's light.

Henry raised his hand and pointed, " Look! A clearing."

Frederick saw it as well. The path widened slightly, and the fog cleared just enough, for him to see a rusty broken down gate. It was especially large, wide enough for a caravan to pass through with several horses. The gate, however, had lost one whole side of it and what was left of the other rested on very little support from its hinges. It almost looked like someone forced it apart; brutally at that. Frederick and Henry did not stray from their pre-determined path, they continued through the gate.

In a feat that Frederick rarely ever saw, the fog seemed to clear right away as they passed through the gate. With one last brush of wind, the scene was revealed to them.

They witnessed, what looked like materialization from amidst nothing, the creation of a courtyard. The courtyard opened into a circular open area, containing a poor dried up fountain amongst its middle. Randomly, almost as if a palace made of stone, placed pillars of stone jutted from the ground. Some stone even littered the front of the path into the courtyard in very little pieces, like someone had smashed the pillars into a wreck. Frederick and Henry gazed around, lost in the haunting visage of this property. It looked as if no one at all was working on it; the haunting silence from the fog seemed to stay even though the fog did not. At the end of the large courtyard emerged something bigger into Frederick's view. It loomed high and wide, looking like the entrance to a vast kingdom. However, the lush and vibrant powers that accompany a doorway to kingdoms were lost in the broken walls of this mansion. It held no desirable qualities for a home; it looked vacant and barely able to stay strong. The fact that this place was home to a man who would try to orchestrate the death of Frederick's brother made all the more sense, it looked broken and in shambles like the heart of this man. There was no real reason for idle viewing, so Frederick hurried his actions.

"Henry, this is where we should let our steeds stay."

"Alright," Henry responded with a grunt as he hefted himself off.

The two brothers made sure their equipment was fastened tightly, as they readied their assent up the courtyard. Jumping off their horses, they marched forward with a cautious outlook. Henry actually lifted a shield he took with him, a strong one with many metal lashed on the front but none that could dull out the symbol of the church. The power of the training Henry received made him more confident than he had ever been. Frederick, however, relied on no such training except the type that his father taught him directly. Henry had more armor pieces on him, but Frederick only wore some at his joints, like gauntlets and shoulder pieces. He wore mostly leather jackets and tougher clothing, his tactic usually revolved around his quick reactions and movements. He had gotten into some vicious swordplay before; his father would always compliment his skill with a blade. That's why with only a blade he felt more confident than anyone else.

The two Belmont brothers stepped up to the big heavy wooden doors to the ominous mansion, each one taking a grasp of both handle and pushed them open quite harshly. The doors flung up to their strength, letting a powerful breeze meeting them from within the main hall. The fall tones outside seemed to mimic the tones inside the mansion's lobby, browns and red's decorated the walls and few furniture pieces. The large and demanding staircase dominated the lobby. The Belmont's looked around the empty and dark lobby, wondering what exactly it looked like they were doing. It almost made it look like they were breaking into an abandoned mansion, which wasn't too far off from the truth.

"Shall we proceed?" inquired Frederick.

Henry nodded, " I don't think anyone will greet us."

They slowly entered, hearing the lobby creek and moan to their entrance. A dim ray of light was the only source to penetrate the darkened entrance from a high window, one that, unlike the rest of the windows, wasn't boarded up. The gloom itself was abundant. Henry walked forward first, his hand hefting his long sword from its sheath and readying it with one arm. Frederick nearly held his breath in anticipation of Henry shouting a warning into the empty lobby, which would be a very bad idea especially since they weren't sure of what they were walking into. Frederick was mostly aware of how reckless he was being, but he still retained some level of caution. Even the scampering of tiny spiders alerted his senses; running from chair to dust-covered chair.

Frederick didn't know how Henry exactly felt, but he sensed no one around. The two brothers spread their search further into the lobby, swords prepped for battle. The thought of something coming out at these two brought horrible tension, but they stomached it with dutiful resolve. Their search of the lobby was complete; no one else was there. There weren't any signs of anyone being they're recently either.

They found three doors down in the lobby, all three doors reside in the northern, eastern, and western ends of the lobby, but found one up the stairs. The brothers decided to investigate this northern most door upstairs because of its more elaborate design. The etch work upon the wooden surface of the door was rather extravagant. It had a pale coloring to it that held a weathered look but still seemed to draw attention to its extravagance. Frederick decided to push the door open.

As the door inched its way open, a slow but loud creak could be heard down what appeared to be a hallway. What Frederick could not understand was that it was difficult to see at the end of the hallway, like a mist was clouding the light at the end of the hall. Henry came up behind him and looked over his shoulder, noticing the shroud.

"I don't like this," he said.

Frederick didn't respond as he took a step forward and walked into this long corridor. The mist seemed to dissipate as he progressed through it. Henry came into the hallway reluctantly. The tight hallway seemed to shrink as they moved on, especially to Henry who had a rather larger build. His uneasiness would not be cast aside so easily. He joined his brother in a larger room, somewhat devoid of any furniture. The only signs of comfort were a few picture frames, but they didn't hold any pictures. Frederick walked around looking for anything but found only dust and emptiness. He walked back to the beginning of the hallway and turned to Henry.

"I'm going to check another room, there's nothing here," he said.

Henry seemed to wave him off, standing in the middle of the room. He lowered his sword and stood more relaxed.

"There really isn't anything here, not even a chair," Henry stated.

The stronger brother started back to the hallway- then an explosion ripped up through the floor. The huge upheaval of wood splinters flew up at Henry's and Fredericks face; engulfing Henry in a tidal of forceful wood chips. Frederick raised his hand to try and catch Henry as he leapt from the hole ripped forth beneath his feet, but the room was too big. He fell down the hole that seemed to go down floors; the images of the depth planting themselves in Frederick's mind as he saw his brother fall down a hole from a explosion that came from no where. The force that ripped the hole was bigger than thought, as Frederick was shoved back as well in the hallway. He crashed onto his back, seeing the end of the hallway becoming blocked off by a hefty amount of debris. Frederick was blocked; he could not go any further to save his brother. He could only hope that he was still alive, at least long enough to go looking for him.


	6. Chapter 6 Dance Of Illusion's

Henry opened one eye cautiously and somewhat irritated. He hates to get caught in some trap, although there was really no way he could have seen it coming. Groaning, Henry pushed himself off the ground.

"The ground," he thought to himself, "what the hell?"

He opened both eyes and looked down at a very moist earth. The soil was covered in little spurts of grass. His mind took awhile just to take it all in. He looked up at a pale moon, clouds moving in from the east. Its moonlight was strong, bathing the ground in its haunting touch. However, it wasn't the only light cast around Henry for he saw a bright fiery glow as well. Standing up, he clenched his fist in anger at the sight he saw.

On top a hill stood a broad and tall village, engulfed in flames. The highest building held a great clock at its peak, flames spurting from it like a mouth from hell. Each building seemed almost as grand as a temple, causing great pain to witness its destruction. The night seemed to stay in silence all around the burning visage. Wisps of flame seem to scatter from the great fire and float in his direction.

Even though the flames engulfed nearly all the town, a wide circular courtyard, in the middle of onlooking buildings, seemed untouched. There was also a broad fountain in the middle of the courtyard as well. He could not explain it but- it called to him. Walking forward, he noticed a figure facing the fountain. It was a slender shape of a woman, but she had a hat that was pulled down enough to obscure her face. She bent over, dipping her fingers into the water. She noticed him coming and drifted to him, unaware of the blaze. She looked up at him and removed her hat. Henry gasped.

She looked as fair as when he departed from her. Carolina, haunting in her beauty, stared at him with blessed and golden eyes. He smiled greatly at seeing her- although his smile disappeared as quickly as it came. She still smiled, but with how beautiful it looked she seemed to be devoid of emotion. It may have been her eyes, for they looked blind and ill focused.

Her hands reached up slowly towards his face, her soft fingertips arched like she was going to dive them into his skin. Henry backed away from her steadily, suddenly getting a grip on himself. His mind drifted from her and revolved around where he was, a burning village with his love standing next a untouched water fountain. The idea was absurd, unthinkable. The fact that it did not make total sense was enough to snap him out of his delirium.

"No," Henry said as he stepped away from Carolina, "you are not her."

Carolina seemed to almost collapse as she took one giant step towards him, that seemed unnatural as well. She nearly seemed to be a doll, her limbs barely moving except at the joints. Her hands still stretched out towards him with a untouched smile. As she came closer, the air around them stiffened and it became harder for Henry to move. He tried to step back again but the atmosphere forbade it, he became strained.

"I…Love…," echoed from her porcelain mouth.

"No!" shouted Henry as he all of a sudden tore himself from her presence and turned away from her. As he did, the atmosphere felt violently up heaved. He felt like he shattered a cloud around him, as he opened his eyes and saw not but the burning village, but another sight.

Shocked, and truly agape, Henry Belmont now stood in a dark hallway. Lined with black stone and torches, the long corridor looked anything but the manor he was at with Frederick. However, this place was pale and seemed stained with a whispering cloud that hung around his eyes. It felt like Henry was in a haze. He could not understand but this looked fake, and real at the same time. Bringing himself back from his disillusion, Henry took a few steps forward, but these steps took him great distances. Almost against his will, he was sped forth amongst the corridor at great lengths, abruptly stopped at a stairway that was not bound by any walls. It went high into the sky, which were clear of any clouds, and seemed to go on forever. These stairs were large, some were even broken down and misused. Henry could not see how high they went, which made him unnerved. However, he was compelled to go on further. Taking another few steps, he was launched up the stairs in a matter of seconds. The cloudy haze around his eyes seemed to grow stronger as he got closer to what appeared to be a large and tall tower. The towers entrance was blocked by two wide and ominous stone doors. Etched upon its smooth surface was a emblem that Henry simply could not recognize. Hung above this doorway was a haunting state, curving around the doorway in a serpentine manner. However it sported a grinning skull at the top, its arms stretched unnaturally around the doorway like it beckoned those to come in.

Henry reached forth, putting his fingertips lightly on the stone. He felt how smooth it was, how flawlessly it was created. Then he pushed it open and-

Was violently thrust back to the burning village. The haze was now gone, but this place was not real. However, Henry thought, the castle may not have been real either. Reality seemed to be toying with him , and it angered and terrified him all at the same time. Then he saw his beloved, Carolina, standing next to the water fountain again. Her back was turned to him, bending over to sip the water. Henry was being pulled in again by her beauty, for memories flooded more and more as he got closer to her. Carolina then turned and blood was floating down her mouth, not water. Henry shouted, as hard as he could, a desperate attempt to shatter this trick, yet it only admitted his weakness. Henry collapsed to his knees, fearful of what little he could do. The haunting doll that appeared as Carolina made her lifeless step towards him.


End file.
